The V&A Waterfront is a massive hub of activity. Here, you’ll find restaurants, shops, entertainment, adventure, accommodation—there’s a reason it’s so popular after all. So, while it’s not strictly a neighbourhood, we decided to include it as an honorary one for our neighbourhood series.

Where to eat and make merry

Restaurants
V&A Food Market
This leading artisan retail store and street food experience with a distinct market feel has everything from craft beer and ciders to Mexican food and ice cream. Located in the historical Pumphouse building off Nobel Square, the market features over 40 vendors.

Website: waterfrontfoodmarket.com

Oranjezicht City Farm
A true farmer’s market, the Oranjezicht City Farm sells the products and produce of local urban farmers. Seasonal fruit and veg, flowers, and homemade goodies are on offer here. Vegans and vegetarians, this market is for you. The market is well-known for catering to all types of foodies, and customers who want wheat, gluten, sugar..

Cape Town is a melting pot of cultures and the culinary influences are endless. We’ve round up the best Asian fusion places in Cape Town where you can enjoy umami zing and flavours of the east in the Mother City. We’ve looked specifically at East Asian food, if you’re looking for curry check out our Top 10 Curry Spots.

Cheyne’s
The popular Cheyne’s restaurant in Hout Bay is one of those of eateries Capetonians can’t stop raving about. Chef Cheyne Morrisby has been able to steal the hearts of locals and visitors with great service and consistency. Their extensive menu is split into four sections, namely Earth (salads and exquisite vegetarian dishes), Land (meaty dishes), Sea (seafood), and Happy Endings (we don’t need to explain that one, do we?). The dishes are served tapas-style so you’ll be able to sample a good selection. The atmosphere is casual and relaxed and lends itself to a great lunch or night out with friends.

With less than three weeks to go, it’s been a hive of activity with our buggy teams preparing for the big day. We have had two group training rides, one of which you can watch here: youtu.be/dXSBMVE0q8Q Some of the teams will also be joining the Open Streets bike bus from Muizenberg to Observatory this weekend.

Our last group training ride will take place on Sunday, 4th March and will follow with a celebration of our teams and an opportunity for representatives of our sponsors, and the media, to meet our teams as we wish them all well in the final lead up to race day. A formal invitation will follow shortly with further information.

The drought has left the region severely water-stressed, with restrictions in place and concerns about how this will affect visitors coming into Cape Town. This is the result of three years of lower than average rainfall in the region, and with creative solutions on all levels, from the government to residents, Cape Town will remain a great place to visit. South African Tourism has reassured the world that Cape Town is open for business and all visitors are welcome as long as they are willing to work with us in conserving water. Water restrictions are in place and visitors and locals need to ensure they use less than 50 litres per day.

Infographic courtesy of the City of Cape Town

It’s not only Cape Town that is affected by issues surrounding water. It’s important to think about water use on a global scale, and preserve this precious resource as best we can. The water shortage in Cape Town is a valuable learning experience. We have to get used to a new normal, where water is used wit..

Cape Town is known for its incredible and diverse food scene and vegans and vegetarians will never go hungry in the Mother City. Here are some of our favourite vegan-friendly eateries, offering everything from quick takeaways to delicious gourmet meals.

The Hungry Herbivore, City Bowl
This cosy hangout specialising in hearty, preservative-free, plant-based food is located on Orphan Street, just off Bree Street in the CBD. Their 100% vegan menu includes everything from pizzas, burgers, salads, and bowls to juices, smoothies, and decadent desserts. They’ve also added a stall at the Moyo Market to their offering, so you can grab a vegan bunless-burger or pizza on the go while in Sea Point.

Website: thehungryherbivore.com

Plant Café, City Bowl
One of Cape Town’s vegan food gems is Plant Cafe. It calls the CBD home and is a fully vegan eatery that prides itself on its delicious, plant-based meals, smoothies, juices, and desserts. While you’re there you can also stock up on supplies like ..

Whether they are called beach huts, beach boxes, bathing boxes or even beach houses, there is never any doubt, when mentioned alongside Muizenberg, that people are referring to the stretch of colourful beach huts on Muizenberg beach.

The bathing box is a throw-back to the “bathing machine” of the 1800’s—a cart-like structure that was wheeled down to the water’s edge, allowing the ladies to change into their chin-to-ankle bathing wear and frolic modestly in the shallows.

There are two rows of beach huts along the shoreline. One row opposite the children’s play-park at Surfer’s Corner and the other closer to the elevated walkway that runs adjacent to the Putt-Putt. The soft white sands behind the boxes offer some shelter from the wind in the height of summer and this part of the beach is manned by lifesavers in season, forming part of the Blue Flag section of Muizenberg beach. In the past, this section behind the boxes got very crowded and was known as the “snake pit”.

With the water crisis on every Capetonian’s mind, it’s more important than ever for businesses to adapt themselves to the situation. Kitchens can be notoriously water-heavy, and as a responsible traveller it’s important that you choose the most water-wise places to eat. Below, you’ll find some of the restaurants in Cape Town that have made every effort to reduce their usage.

Vineyard Hotel, Newlands
The Vineyard Hotel in Newlands has made a big change to its menus: no more pasta or boiled vegetables. They’re using other cooking methods like frying and streaming. Water used to wash vegetables is stored and re-used too. The four restaurants (The Square, Myoga, Garden Lounge and Splash Café) have all made these water-wise changes so you can enjoy a meal guilt-free.

Website: vineyard.co.za

Catch22, Tableview
Catch22 is a fantastic venue with ocean-side dining, fresh seafood, and tasty cocktails. They’ve done away with ice-buckets, opting instead to use wine-cooler sleeves that are store..

The third oldest settlement in South Africa, Paarl is steeped in history, culture, natural splendour and a centuries-old tradition of winemaking. Paarl, Western Cape is just over an hour’ drive from the Cape Town city centre.

In 1657, Abraham Gabemma set out from the Cape in search of resources. On his journey he came across a giant granite rock gleaming in the distance. He called this Pearl Mountain, and the town that grew at its base eventually became known as Paarl.

Reflection Paarl Mountain #lovecapetown #allcapetown #gopro

A post shared by Reginald (@reginaldavids) on Oct 16, 2017 at 11:26am PDT

This rock is significant as it is the second largest granite outcrop in the world. Called Paarl Rock, it features the Taal Monument, which was designed by architect Jan van Wijk in 1975 and is a celebration of the Afrikaans language. Be sure to pop inside, as the monument boasts an unexpectedly beautiful interior. Free guided tours are available daily.

Jubilee Square in the centre of Simon’s Town is the heart of this naval town and has been the meeting and market place of locals and visitors since the 1880’s. Visitors to Simon’s Town, whether on their way to the penguin colony at Boulders, or heading down to Cape Point, find this a perfect stop because there is a lot to see and do.

The square itself is full of surprises and you could come across a Great Dane parade in honour of Just Nuisance, a display of vintage cars, the Great Little Market under colourful bunting, carols on the square and other local community events and festivals.

The statue of Just Nuisance on Jubilee Square, Simon’s Town, is the most photographed and iconic feature of the square. Honouring the Great Dane who was enlisted as Able Seaman in the Royal Navy at the start of the Second World War, the bronze statue of this famous dog stands proudly overlooking the SA naval harbour and the False Bay Yacht Club. Another more sobering reference to SA’s naval history, i..

Franschhoek lies in one of the most beautiful wine valleys, just about an hour from Cape Town. The valley is characterised by rolling vineyards and fields and is encircled almost entirely by scenic mountains. To this day, the village has kept a certain boho French chic. In July, it becomes almost entirely French when it hosts Bastille Day festivities, one of the many events on the almost year-round calendar of wine, food and literary festivals. You will need a couple of days to truly explore this quaint town centre.

Where to eat and make merry
The main road of the village is lined with a cosmopolitan mix of trendy street cafés and bistros along with superb restaurants and bars to enjoy. The Franschhoek Wine Route has some of the best wine estates in the country where you can spend the afternoon sipping on fine wines and snacking on platters, visitors are spoilt for choice.